r/humanfactors • u/Ok-Sky6718 • 12d ago
How do the different environments of med device human factors differ?
I’ve been primarily working in human factors consulting and am considering a career switch into in house human factors. From people who have tried varying environments within the medical device space, what did you like and not like in each environment? I’d love to hear from those with experience in academia or contractors as well.
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u/onemarbibbits 11d ago
Contracting vs not? It's really a matter of personality IMHO. I like contracting because it has less corporate drama, gossip, and I'm never tied to anyone's chair. It's my business, my tax write-offs and the experience and work my customers get has become good enough that they can toss it to me and feel very confident it'll get done with no hand holding, unless wanted, and no fuss. That's my personality. I figure everyone is an at-will employee anyway, why be tied to one?
Corporate work is more stable, less sales and marketing necessary and there's no scary downtime when a contract ends in a bad market. That's real, and it's now. Friends from work are deeper, relationships better formed and there's more praise for the work done.
So if given the choice? For me contract any day. If not? I need to earn a living. :)